Ventilator system and vapor dispenser



May 6, 1969 c. c. COBARG 3,442,197

VENTILATOR SYSTEM AND VAPOR DISPENSER Filed Feb. 2, 1967 Sheet of 2 Inventor.- alalcs C6 fist/an mu M e v,

C. C. COBARG May 6, 1969 VENTILATOR SYSTEM AND VAPOR DISPENSER of .2 I

Sheet Filed Feb. 2, 1967 United States Patent 3 442,197 VENTILATOR SYSTEM AND VAPOR DISPENSER Claus Christian Cobarg, Bad Soden, Germany, assignor to Braun Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Feb. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 613,531 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 12, 1966, B 65,212 Int. Cl. A61] 9/04 US. Cl. 98--30 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ventilator with a cross current air blower that has an air stream exit is provided with a dispenser to hold a substance that gives off volatile vapors. The dispenser is disposed near the turbulence Zone of the blower, and is operative to store the aforesaid substance and to permit at least some of the vapors to be discharged towards the air stream that exits from the blower. A dispenser, for use in connection with a ventilator which has a cross current air blower that includes an air stream exit; the dispenser is held near the blower and includes a pocket structure that has an opening near the air exit side of the blower, so that the exiting air stream will sweep across the opening.

The invention relates to ventilator systems, and relates more particularly to a ventilator system of the type that includes a ventilator with a cross current blower, either for hot or cold air, for air circulation or space heating, and is provided with a dispenser for the storing of substances that give off volatile vapors, to impart a selected fragrance to the space surrounding the ventilator system.

More particularly, the invention relates to ventilator systems of the type wherein the fragrance is a perfume, for imparting to the space a pleasant odor. Furthermore, the invention relates to dispenser means, for use in connection with a ventilator having a cross current air blower.

For relatively large and voluminous ventilating equipment there usually is available sufficient space to accommodate scent dispensers satisfactorily. For ventilators of smaller size, however, which operate in accordance with the principle of air circulation, construction difliculties for providing suitable structures have become apparent. These difficulties have been experienced particularly in connection with ventilators with cross current blowers that, due to their small and compact construction, are well suited for ventilating, are easily mounted or transported, and useful for operating either with cold or hot air, but they have been found to be very sensitive to resistances against the flow in the exit portion of the blower, and offer but little space to build in any additional device.

It is accordingly among the principal objects of the invention to provide a ventilator system with a cross current blower, and a dispenser for same, that avoid the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned in the foregoing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a ventilator system, wherein the blower has air conducting surfaces at the air stream exit side that comprises an elongated turbulence former, and includes a special construction and arrangement of the dispenser for the storing and dispensing of a substance that gives off volatile vapors.

3,442,197 Patented May 6, 1969 It is another object of the invention to provide that the dispenser extends throughout at least a portion of an elongated turbulence former, and comprises a pocket structure that has an opening that is swept by the exiting air stream. The arrangement of the pocket near the turbulence former has several advantages: The pocket will be disposed in the turbulence zone of the blower air stream exit, so that the air eddies that occur in that zone may easily penetrate into the pocket and carry away the molecules of the vapors and admix them intensively with the exiting air stream; and the pocket will at all times be easily accessible for the filling and replenishing with the substance, and fit well into the closed assembly of the ventilator system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pocket structure of the type referred to, which either forms a unit with the turbulence former, or is releasably connect-able thereto, either upstream or downstream of the turbulence former relative to the exiting air, in order to equip existing ventilators with a dispenser of this type.

It is still another object of the invention to provide the pocket structure with upwardly outwardly flaring longitudinal side walls, and to provide for ribs that project one of these side walls inwardly, so as to hold a strip of absorbent material that is insertable into the pocket. This has the advantage that the filling of the pocket with the substance, if it be a liquid substance, or the sprinkling of the absorbent strip with the liquid substance is greatly facilitated; it renders unnecessary to provide for an exact amount of the substance, as the excess substance that surpasses the saturation of the strip may be received in a receiving chamber that is formed in the spaces between the adjoining ribs next to the strip.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide the aforesaid ribs in such a manner that the strip will be held between the free ends of the ribs and the opposite longitudinal wall sufiiciently tightly, so that the capillary effect will aid in preventing the liquid substance to be thrown off the pocket during tilting, namely inclining or even overturning, of the ventilator, thus preventing loss of the liquid substance. Furthermore, with this arrange.- ment so large areas of the surface of the strip are exposed that they will be impinged inside the pocket by the air eddies as they penetrate into the pocket interior.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a perforated lid for the pocket, for those cases where the vapors are especially volatile, which lid may be connected to the pocket either by being hinged thereto, or by being of the type that may releasably be snapped-on and snapped-off relative to the pocket structure.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being realized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel methods, construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, one embodiment of the same being illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ventilator with a cross current blower carrying a dispenser, in accordance with an embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof, partly in section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a dispenser shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of a modification, showing a dispenser that is releasably connected to, rather than integral with, the turbulence former;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a further modified dispenser that is independent from and releasably mountable on the ventilator;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the modified dispenser shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a still further modified dispenser that has a perforated lid.

In carrying the invention into effect in the embodiments which have been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in this specification, and referring now particularly to FIGS. 13, there is provided a table model type of a ventilator of well-known construction. The ventilator has a cross current blower 1 that is rotatable in a ring 2 of a supporting frame 3. A foot 6 supports the supporting frame 3.

The cross current blower 1 comprises a drum type compressor impeller 4 which is driven by a motor (not shown) that is encased in a motor housing 5, and air conducting surfaces which are formed by an elongated ledge type turbulence former '7, a rear baffie 8 and two end walls 9 and 10, respectively. The end wall 10 which is closer to the motor is mounted on the motor housing 5, so that by turning the motor housing 5 the direction of the exiting air stream is variable, as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 2. The entering air stream is indicated at B in FIG. 2.

Dispenser means are provided for the storing and dispensing of a substance that gives off volatile vapors, such as a liquid fragrant substance, for instance perfume, or other scents, either for imparting to the surrounding space a pleasant odor, or for other purposes. While the substances herein are often referred to as fragrant substances, liquid substances, or perfumes, no limitation in the substance that gaves off volatile vapors is intended thereby, save as limited in the claims hereof.

The dispenser means comprise a pocket structure 11 that extends throughout a portion, preferably the major portion, of the length of the turbulence former 7. In accordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the pocket structure 11 is integral with the turbulence former 7.

The pocket structure 11 includes two opposite longitudinal walls 12 and 16, and two end walls which, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-3, are integral with the end walls 9 and 10, respectively. The longitudinal wall 12 that is disposed near the compressor impeller 4, is preferably inclined in such a manner that the pocket is upwardly and outwardly flaring, as best shown in FIG. 2.

Inside the pocket, there is positioned a strip 13 of absorbent material, for instance felt or foam. The strip 13 is insertable in the pocket in such a manner that it is held on one side by the free end portions 14 (see FIG. 3) of a plurality of ribs 15 that are spaced apart from each other and extend inwardly from the longitudinal wall 12 into the pocket interior (see FIG. 3), and on the other side adjoins the opposite outer elongated wall 16. By this arrangement, a fragrant liquid substance may easily be filled into the pocket, and the strip 13 inside the pocket has sufficient surface areas uncovered and exposed, so that the air stream exiting from the blower 1 can impinge thereon, as indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 2.

The modification shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, provides for a pocket structure 11 that is not integral with the turbulence former 7, but is independent therefrom and removably mountable thereon. The pocket structure 11' comprises a bracket 17 with which it may be suspended from the ledge type turbulence former 7 (see FIG. 4). Small resilient clamp strips 18 (FIG. 5) are provided that serve to restrain accidental removal of the pocket structure 11 off the ledge type turbulence former 7. The inner longitudinal wall is indicated at 1 2, and the absorbent strip at 13'; and the remaining parts are in accordance with the corresponding parts of FIG. 1-3.

In order to facilitate the filling of the liquid fragrant substance, and of the entry of the air into the pocket, the modification of FIGS. 6 and 7 provides for a pocket structure 11", the ribs 15" of which are shortened with respect to the height of the longitudinal wall 12 from which they project; and, as best shown in FIG. 6, the upper edge of the longitudinal wall 12 is at a lower level than the upper edge of the opposite longitudinal wall 16". As in the modification of FIGS. 4 and 5, however, the pocket structure 11" of FIGS. 6 and 7 is of the removable type.

Where particularly volatile substances are used, a perforated lid 19 may be used in conjunction with the pocket structure 11", as shown in FIG. 8. The lid 19 is movable between a position of covering the pocket structure (shown in solid lines in FIG. 8) and, respectively, a position of uncovering the pocket structure (as shown in broken lines in FIG. 8). In the modification of FIG. 8, the lid 19 is shown hinged, rather than of the snap-on and snap-off type previously mentioned.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the upper edge of the elongated wall 12" is also lower than that of the elongated wall 16', similar to the arrangement of FIGS. 6 and 7.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a ventilator system, the combination with a ventilator comprising a cross current air blower including near its air stream exit a turbulence zone, of dispenser means operable for holding a substance that gives off volatile vapors, said dispenser means being disposed near said turbulence zone and operable for storing said substance and permitting at least some of said vapors to be discharged towards the air stream exiting from said blower, said dispenser means including a structure defining a pocket having an opening near the top and being disposed in such a manner that said exiting air stream will sweep across said opening, whereby at least some of said vapors will be discharged into said air stream, said substance being a liquid, a turbulence former generating air eddies in said turbulence zone, said dispense-r means including a structure establishing a pocket storing said liquid and permitting access by said eddies into said pocket, thereby dispensing the molecules of said vapors into and admixing them with said air stream, said pocket structure having two opposite elongated walls and including a series of ribs spaced apart from each other and projecting with their free end portions inwardly from one of said elongated walls, and an absorbent strip disposed in said pocket adjacent the free end portions of said ribs, whereby said eddies may impinge upon at least some of the surface areas of said strip.

2. In a ventilator system, as claimed in claim 1, said pocket structure being releasably connected to said turbulence former.

3. In a ventilator system, as claimed in claim 1, said pocket structure including two opposite elongated walls and two end walls joined thereto, said pocket being open on top, one of said elongated walls being tapered relative to the other, whereby said elongated walls flare outwardly upwardly relative to each other.

4. In a ventilator system, as claimed in claim 1, said 6 pocket structure defining between the adjoining ribs 21 1,270,613 6/1918 Gustavson 98-39X receiving chamber for excess fragrant liquid, said strip 2,603,468 7/1952 Sutton 261 -30X being clamped between said ribs and the opposite longi- 2,822,217 2/1958 Marshall et a1. 239-44X tudinal wall sufiiciently tightly so that the capillary effect 2,828,953 4/1958 H-artimann 239-44X will restrain accidental loss of said liquid from said pocket 5 3,310,228 3/1967 Laing 23 0-125 when said ventilator is tilted. 3,331,304 7/1967 Baus 9839 References Cited ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. UNITED TATE PATENTS W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 829,707 8/1906 Fries 21-125X 10 1,307,449 6/1919 Mayeda 98-30X 1,567,957 12/1925 Kesselm-an. 21-l22, 126; 23944 

